Mage Scholar
|Base ID = }} A Mage Scholar is a member of the Mages Guild found in the Arcane University of the Imperial City. They serve no integral purpose to the storyline, and their foremost job is lecturing the apprentices. Equipment and Battle Behavior All Mage Scholars wear a standard mage's robe and a pair of russet felt shoes. In combat they rely on an Iron Dagger and a second, enchanted, leveled dagger. In addition, all Mage Scholars will be able to cast three Destruction spells (two weak, one powerful), three weak Conjuration spells (two Bound Armor and one Summon), one powerful Restoration spell and one powerful Illusion spell. Routine The Mage Scholars share highly similar schedules. They are often encountered walking the grounds of the Arcane University, where they might be caught in conversation with one of their colleagues or students. They can be heard discussing about various topics. At 10am and 4pm, the apprentices have classes, each scholar has a chance of teaching the class about Doomstones and Runestones, near the Praxographical Center. All of them sleep at the Mages' quarters, half of them sleep from midnight until 6am, while three others sleep from 6pm until midnight. Lessons The Mage Scholars can be seen teaching the Mage Apprentices about Runestones and Doomstones, the lessons going as follows: First lesson First, all rune-marked ancient stones are called runestones, though there are, in fact, two very different classes of runestones. Doomstones have red runes, and are associated with stone circles. Runestones have blue runes, and appear as solitary monuments. The runes for which the stones are named glow in the dark; however, there is no evidence that the stones are magical. Various naturally occurring minerals and crystals, like glass and ebony, glow in the dark by their own light -- without being magical. However, the universal belief that runestones are magical, despite all evidence, is good reason to suspect that the runestones are indeed magical. One theory is that the stones were once magical, but they have lost their magic, either through age and disuse, or because of sin or neglect. It may also be that they are magical, but only for certain individuals or under certain circumstances, or that their magics are secret. Second lesson There are six commonly recognized varieties of runestone. Birthstone Doomstones bear red runes, appear with stone circles, and are associated with the classic birthsigns like the Apprentice and the Atronach. Heavenly Doomstones bear red runes, appear with stone circles, and are associated with cosmic features of the heavens like the moons Jone and Jode. Hestra Runestones are marked with green runes, appear as solitary monuments, and are believed to be named for the late First Era Empress Hestra. Reman Runestones are solitary monuments marked with green runes, almost certainly named for Reman Cyrodiil, the First Era emperor. Sidri-Ashak Runestones are single standing stones marked with green runes, thought to be named for an obscure Akaviri potentate, Sidri-Ashak. Fort Runestones are stones with green runes, found singly or in pairs, in the ruins of some subterranean First Era forts. These names offer few hints to the origin or function of the stones, though they assist scholars in identifying each type of stone on maps. Third lesson Suppose that the runestones are divine, and that the secrets of their magics are revealed only by divine revelation. Suppose that the runestones existed, for whatever reason, and in whatever form, long before the coming of the Cyrodilic emperors. Suppose, however, that the power of these stones had been hidden, but was revealed to certain holy men or prophets in the First Era. Suppose that, under the guidance of the gods, these runestones were newly consecrated to a great purpose... the founding of the Cyrodilic Empire. Once these ancient monuments might have been powerful bulwarks of the Cyrodilic emperors, battlemages, and priests. But imagine, as the emperors grew weak, and as the power and glory of the Empire waned, and as the people fell away from their service to the gods... Imagine that the power of these runestones might have diminished -- weakened, then extinguished -- by the sins of the Potentates. Few records survive from the Dark Ages of the Potentates. Thus might the secrets of the runestones be lost... in wickedness, vainglory, and neglect. Fourth lesson Cyrodiil's runestones are thought to belong to one of three time periods: the Dawn Era, the Merethic Era, or the late First Era. Those who believe the runestones to be Dawn Era artifacts, created by the Aedra or Daedra, often describe them as Lorkhan's birthing gift to mortals. Others assign the runestones to the Merethic or Early First Era, primarily on the basis of their simple, even crude design and craft. The most common practice is to place the raising of the runestones within the High First Era Cyrodiil of Empress Hestra and the Reman Emperors. Runestones found in forts like Sancre Tor support a First Era date, though the stones could have been moved to the forts from earlier sites. The greatest objection to First Era dating is that the stones are completely unlike any other examples of First Era architecture. I believe the runestones date from the Dawn Era or Merethic Age, but they were moved to new sites by late First Era emperors. Since the runestones have lost their enchantments,Despite this claim, the Runestones in Cyrodiil can be activated by the Hero of Kvatch to obtain magical items. however, we may never know why they were moved, or what function they served at First Era sites. Fifth lesson Ignore the controversy of whether the runestones are enchanted. Let me suggest one possible account for the placements of the runestones. Before Tiber Septim, Cyrodiil's roads varied greatly in quality, and were often impassible in bad weather and winter seasons. In the late First Era, Empress Hestra improved the roads, and the Reman Emperors continued her policies. The last period of First Era road-building was in the reign of the last strong Akaviri Potentate, Sidri-Ashak. Note that three classes of runestones are named, respectively, Hestra Stones, Reman Stones, and Sidri-Ashak Stones. Could these runestones have served as waypoints and landmarks for military patrols of the nascent Imperial Legion? Did battlemages activate runestones on arrival, thus lighting arcane beacons within the next runestone? The Mages Guild should fund further study of the early Imperial Legions, their battlemages, and their traditions of patrol and route-finding. Notes Appearances * Category:Oblivion: Mages Guild Members